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Soviet Federation
The Soviet Federation is the largest and most active federation on the planet Kebir Blue, currently holding more than twenty-five active members. It was established in 2977 as an autocratic defensive organisation, but has since evolved into a fully democratic union with regular elections and referenda. Since 3083 the organisation has been chaired by the Democratic Republic of Damstu. Its capital city is Valhalla, located in the Azurnereich Empire. It is affiliated with the common market SovECON. Initial History (2977 - 3010) Created in the late 2970s by Stalin, the Soviet Federation is designed to bring together various members from around Kebir Blue to form a solid defensive bloc, economic stability, and a place to discuss socialism. As the leader of the USSR, Stalin hoped to unite various socialist states across the planet, but initially focused in building up a base in his home region of Eridana. After more than a decade as the chairman of the organisation, Stalin appealed to long-time member Spek to take over the position, which took place in 2991. Vanqar Soviet Republic, a province of the United Autonomous Republics, brought the size of the Federation up significantly and, in cooperation with the former IND Commonwealth, created a new common market which has contributed to steady growth and further integration. In 2992, the flag pictured above was adopted as the official ensign for the Soviet Federation. The lone star is said to represent the Soviet Federation as the sole protector of socialist and communist ideals on Kebir Blue. Spek, upon unveiling the new flag, remarked that "this simple image will unite our members in our struggle against imperialism and capitalism. Let us not forget our common cause as Soviets!" Democratisation and Expansion (3010 - 3030) In 3010, Spek announced his decision to step down as the leader of the federation, hoping to bring in the talents of another burgeoning leader, Ringo, who is the leader of the United Soviet Empire. In 3010 an election campaign between the Soviet Empire of the Leaf and the People's Republic of Rezalan resulted in a 6-4 victory for Ringo. In January 3011, Ringo began a 7 year term as chairman. Since then, the growth of the common market increased modestly as many of the members of the Federation are members of other common markets and cannot break their existing contracts. Membership worked very hard to try to recruit new nations, but in general there were few good candidates that matched the practical and ideological criteria. Ringo's term helped to solidify the positive economic trajectory and expand the defensive union, and saw a signficant rise in the number of corporations that have been effectively established. Ringo's leadership has been identified primarily as one of economic restructuring, and has been reviewed positively by all federation members. At the end of his term in 3018, he declined to run for re-election, leaving the race between the Socialist Union of Farr and People's Republic of Rezalan. In 3020 Ms Emily led an initiative to adopt a short official motto, suggesting "We, the vanguard for socialism, will smash oppression. NOT ONE STEP BACKWARDS." A vote in 3020 accepted the new slogan. Concurrently, overtures were made between the Farr and Democratic Republic of Plato of the United Alliance of Independent States. A merger, which was expected to take place before the 3025 election, was finalised in 3020 when the members of the UAIS formally joined the Soviet Federation. During Farr's leadership, the Spek of the UAR tabled a Charter of the Soviet Federation, which was approved in a referendum in 3025. In 3025, Devlin was acclaimed as chairman of the federation for a seven-year term. During his term, the federation focused on the formation of an executive committee, with various referenda creating and filling new posts. Several new member states also joined the federation during this period. Although only in power for five years, Devlin made significant changes to the federation's political structure. Since 3030, Keppy of the Democratic Republic of Damstu has been leading the organisation. First Keppian Era (3030 - 3048) Following her 3030 victory, her first act under was the merger with the Azurnereich Federation, bringing the Soviet Federation membership count up to 23. Following this, referenda were carried out to finish the Executive Committee and to form a new organ of government, the Parliament of the Soviet Federation. In 3035 the first session of parliament was carried out, with five members in attendance. Following the flurry of activity in the early 3030s, Keppy was reelected after narrowly defearing two opponents. In the next few years, the federation "cooled down" so that members could focus on domestic issues. With the federation capped out at 25 members in 3037, the focus turned to what to do next. A decision was deferred by parliament until the next session in the 3040s. However, an unexpected war declaration in the summer of 3038 resulted in an emergency parliament held in Septeber. Discussions surrounding the Republic of Chelonia and alleged connections to the Protectorate were brought to the fore. In the decades since minimal information is public due to its sensititivity, though eventaully Chelonia was evicted from the federation. In 3041 Keppy was reelected for an unprecedented third term. She ran on a platform that was dedicated to working closely with the membership on a variety of issues. Her first statement after reelection was that she would not consider running for a fourth term; however, she stated her intent to take the full limit, giving her a total of 18 consecutive years as chairperson. Keppy presided over the referenda on the great expulsion of 3045, the removal of several inactive members of the federation. In 3047, just before the General Election, Keppy announced the creation of the Soviet Service Star, a medal to commemorate leaders who express bravery, innovation, and dedication to the proliferation of socialism. Her terms are viewed as remarkably positive by the general public of the federation. As leader, she brought about both stability and progress, justifying her 87 per cent approval ratings. Red October (3047 - 3048) The 3047 election was the most hotly contested vote in Soviet Federation history. Soviet Socialist Chiava, which won 52.3 per cent of the vote, narrowly defeated Wisconsin. On 7 October peaceful demonstrations spontaneously erupted in major cities across Azurnereich, supporting the government's position in selecting Chiava as the new chairperson. On the same day, a crowd of nearly 600 000 gathered in Qavran, the capital of the United Autonomous Republics and the Soviet Federation. Unlike the outward show of support in Azurnereich, the protesters in Qavran were actively demanding the right to popularly elect the chairperson. In December tens of thousands of citizens of Michigan, a former member of the United Socialist States of America, expressed their support for Wisconsin, but were met with violence from the revolutionary government. In response to the crackdown, Wisconsin opened borders and prepared an expeditionary force. The smallest demonstration, which took place in the Democratic Republic of Damstu, numbered about 1200 and was met with an open dialogue with the Supreme Soviet, broadcasted live on the Damstu National Broadcast Commission. As a result, the population was asked to make the selection for chairperson, with 62.7 per cent in favour of Wisconsin. The whole series of events was later termed "Red October" by Spek, even though the demonstrations lasted in various forms from October to February. As a result, Spek tabled a working proposal on electoral reform. While no attention was given to this during John's term, the election of Devlin in 3053 marked a signficant turn for this and other initiatives, with the introduction of "Mixed Proportional Performance System". This is designed to allow for a certain number of votes to be granted to a president based on a predetermined formula. The system, which was collaboratively developed by Azurnereich, the UAR, New Republic of Wisconsin, and People's Republic of Rezalan, was endorsed by all members of the federation before a vote in 3057. The first elections to carry this system were in 3060. Conflict and Resolution (3048 - 3083) The more than three decades between Keppy's first and second tenures was very troubled, termed by Spek the "Democratic Arms Race" and the "Great Divide" by Keppy and Devlin. Progress slowed significantly during this period as the focus of politics centred on a growing rift between two heavyweights in the federation, Wisconsin and Chiawa. Nonetheless, some important changes were instituted during this turbulent time. Devlin's first act was to reduce waste by merging the Burinform and the Dipliais in 3055, and attention moved swiftly toward revamping democracy in the Soviet Federation. Electoral reform change was endorsed by a wide majority of presidents, and has become well-integrated into the federation system in the decades since 3060. One of John's main ideas was to develop space capacities and to implement military restructuring. His short term in office proved to be very colourful, with a significant amount of participation, though much of it mired in divisive politics. While John presented many powerful ideas, many did not receive him well personally. Nonetheless, he was able to start many key conversations that will undoubtedly produce marked changes in the future of the federation. Perhaps his greatest legacy, though completed after his term ended, was the negotiations of an intergalatic peace treaty. A major initiative during the later 3040s and early 3050s was the procurement of an alliance with federations on other planets. In 3048 Spek was approached by the White Giant federation NATO. Talks began quickly, with a strategic agreement drafted within 5 years. In 3054 the federation membership voted on the agreements, aptly termed the Accords of Qavran-Tamarac. Negotiotions are ongoing to find a third party from either Golden Rainbow or Little Upsilon. In 3060 an election was held which brought Soviet Socialist Chiawa back to the position as chair. After four brief years in office, he asked to be reelected, but was defeated by Wisconsin in another closely contested race. Many presidents who voted for Wisconsin contended that John was "resting on his laurels" rather than trying to bring new and fresh ideas to the table. As for Wisconsin, his platform was brief and relatively unclear, but he was able to bring some unity to the position. One of his first acts as chair was to remove several of the inactive members. From there, discussions centred around two major ideas: the selection of a new federation capital; and ways of encouraging more activity and growth. A referendum was held in 3065 which selected Valhalla, Azurnereich as the new capital. In the middle of Wisconsin's term, in the fall of 3068, a telegram surfaced from the recently departed Kaput Republic. Aptly termed the Kaput Telegram, it sparked a serious and contentious feud between Wisconsin and Chiawa, which took twelve years to resolve. The Kaput Incident fuelled charges for constitutional reform, which are underway. As part of the tentative agreement struck in the fall of 3068, Wisconsin announced his intention to not seek another term, opening the door for Soviet Empire of the Leaf to be elected in a rare four-way election in 3069. During Ringo's term, the UAR engaged in negotiations with the United Imperial Democracy, a small federation, resulting in its acquisition by the Soviet Federation. This took place formally in 3072. Many federation members, particularly the Azurnereich Empire and the UAR, spent a lot of time organising the centennial celebrations for 3077. The events were mammoth, with parades, military exercises, informal local debates, music, and a synchronised fireworks show live from both Qavran and Valhalla. In 3081 Keppy created a new medal, the FHM, to commemorate 100 years of dedicated service to the federation's veteran, Vanqar Soviet Republic. This coincided with a mammoth announcement from Spek that in July of that year the UAR went nuclear. By the start of the 3080s it was clear that the Soviet Federation was now back on track. A referendum was held in 3081 to make a decision about secret ballots for elections, just in time for the 3083 election for chair. The motion passed, by a very slim margin. At the same time, a merger was negotiated between Ringo and the leader of the Union of Allied States, a smaller federation. At the time of acquisition, the Soviet Federation complex contained 28 nations. IRComm and Dispute Resolution (3075 - 3078) Concurrently, attention was focused on the out of control situation between Chiawa and Wisconsin. 3071 saw the creation of the IRComm, or Internal Reviews Committee, which investigated the rift. All three of the accused were allowed to pick a representative, and another was chosen by secret ballot. The four judges took three years of intense labour to produce a ruling, which was accepted by the entire federation. In 3075 it produced a document titled, "The Kaput Incident and Related Events". The contents of the document are classified and not to be released, but it is widely known that it led to the expulsion of Soviet Socialist Chiawa from the Soviet Federation in 3078. The document did not recommend that John be kicked out, but it did declare that a referendum was required to be held. He was ejected by a vote of 11 to 6. Since John was the Finance Executive at the time, an election was held which brought the People's Republic of Rezalan to the position. Smaller penalities were levied against Wisconsin as well as Ms. Emily of Socialist Union of Farr. Although John was evicted from the Soviet Federation, Keppy invited him back in 3085 when she became chair. This gesture was emblematic of the spirit of the IRComm report in not making a recommendation for Chiawa's expulsion. Second Keppian Era (3084 - present) In 3083 Ms Keppy won by a very narrow margin against Westam. This was her fourth term as chair, and also marked a return to politics for her, having never served as an executive in any other capacity. Her campaign was relatively simple, but resonated with most voters. Her competitors were Zach, who agreed with most of Keppy's revolutionary new policies, and Ms. Emily, who caused controversy by taking an unpopular stance on military funding and restructuring of the executive. While the race was close between Zach and Ms. Keppy, Ms. Emily won a meagre 21 per cent of the vote. The first act that Ms. Keppy made in office was to limit the penalties given to Wisconsin. In fact, the 3085 executive committee included Wisconsin. This new executive was unprecedented. Where normally turnover in the organisation was due to departures, Ms. Keppy brought in a new strategy. The primary focus was bringing in new talent; however, another motivating factor was to rotate members and prevent stagnation. In fact, three new members were added to the cabinent in 3085: New Republic of Wisconsin, Soviet Republic of Westam, and the Communist State of Kinsek. Elections For a list of elections, view the main article Since democratisation in 3011, there have been elections called to determine leadership. According to the charter of the federation, elections give chairpeople a seven year mandate before another election must be called. There have been several elections since 3011, with many members from across the planet running for office. In addition, elections are held every 20 years for SovEMC and the Finance Executive. Further modifications were made to the system of voting in 3060, with a new system of Mixed Population Performance. In 3080 secret ballots were introduced for voting in executives. Neither of these two latest changes affects referenda. Special Referenda There have been many referenda in the history of the Soviet Federation. Below is a list of previous tabled proposals as well as scheduled upcoming votes. 2985 - "Create a Soviet Common Market" (failed 2-6) 2991 - "Acclaim Spek as chairman" (passed 7-0) 2994 - "Select Moscow as the Permanent Capital of the Soviet Federation (failed '4-5) 2998 - "Select Qavran as the Temporary Capital of the Soviet Federation" ('passed '5-3) 3003 - "Endorse universal membership in the common market border countries" ('failed '3-6) 3020 - "Adopt new ideological statement" ('passed 8-2) 3023 - "Create a census bureau" (passed '11-2) 3025 - "Acclaim Devlin as chairman" ('passed '10-2) 3025 - "Adopt federation Charter" ('passed '11-2) 3027 - "Create an economic advisory bureau" ('passed '12-0) 3028 - "Endorse universal membership in the common market border countries" ('failed '5-7) 3030 - "Create a bureau of information and a high commission" ('passed '8-2) 3033 - "Create SovEMC" ('passed 17-0) 3048 - "Adopt an anthem" (failed 7-12) 3054 - "Ratify the Accords of Qavran-Tamarac" (passed '20-2) 3057 - "Institute electoral reform" ('passed '21-0) 3062 - "Start a Soviet Federation Space Programme" ('failed 8-10) 3065 - "Select Valhalla as the Temporary Capital of the Soviet Federation" (passed 11-8) 3068 - "Make midterm progress reports mandatory for the SovEMC, Finance, and Dipliais" (passed 9-7) 3077 - "Create a second federation" (passed '14-4) 3081 - "Adopt secret ballots for elections for Chairperson" ('passed 10-8) 3090 - "Approve selected reforms to the Charter" (ongoing) 3095 - "Renew the Accords of Qavran-Tamarac" (ongoing) Membership and Executive There are currently 23 active members of the Soviet Federation. View a list of members. Additionally, information is tracked using a census conducted every five years (starting 3030). This task was first handled by The New Republic of Wisconsin, but in 3040 People's Republic of Rezalan was elected to the post. In addition to the common membership, there is an Executive Committee dedicated to dealing with specific issues facing the organisation. In 3035 the first Parliament of the Soviet Federation convened. Accolades There is currently only one honour awarded to outstading presidents, the Soviet Service Star. It has been awarded once since being introduced by Keppy in 3047. In 3081, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the creation of Vanqar Soviet Republic and its ascension to the Soviet Federation, Keppy proposed a second award, the Federation Honour Medal. It has been awarded to all territories belonging to the federation that have been leaders for 100 years. Past Chairpeople Listed below are the former (and curent) leaders of the Soviet Federation. Stalin, who led the organisation for 13 years, and Spek, who was chairperson for 20 years, were not subject to election. All subsequent leaders were elected by plurality by members of the federation and are given a maximum of seven years as leader before a new election is to be held. Currently, the Soviet Federation has been led by eight individuals. The Democratic Republic of Damstu was the only chairperson to be reelected to the post consecutively (3034 and 3041) until the USE was reelected in 3077. Soviet Empire of the Leaf, the Democratic Repblic of Plato, and Soviet Socialist Chiawa are the only countries to serve twice non-consecutively. Spek was the longest serving chair (20 years) until 3085 when Keppy surpassed him. Capital Cities When the federation was founded in 2977 there were only three members of the organisation. The administrative headquarters were located in Moscow in the USSR for the first twenty years of of the federation's existence. In 2994 a vote was brought forward by Stalin asking for the capital city to be permanently designated as Moscow. In a hotly contested vote, the proposal failed. Three years later several members of the federation pushed through another bill making Qavran in the UAR a "temporary capital city". During Spek's 20 year term as chair of the Soviet Federation it became apparent that the centre of the federation is around the UAR, though Spek repeatedly declared that he would vote down all proposals to make Qavran a permanent capital city. In 3065 Valhalla was selected by a pluarility of members and, in a referendum, it was named the next temporary capital. Category:Federations Category:Soviet Federation